Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak (yes, that is her name), is one of those well-known names in the genealogy-world. Self-described as a “genealogy adventurer” she’s a genealogist having worked on many celebrity family trees, is a regular guest presenter at genealogy events, worked on multiple genealogy TV shows and is a author of a number of books and numerous articles. All in all, she’s loves finding dead people.

While reading her latest Honouring Our Ancestors newsletter she included a picture that I just HAD to share with  you, because this quote has now become my all-time-new-favourite quote.  Why? Well, simply because it is plainly true!

Dear Santa: Don’t bring me new dishes,
I don’t need a new kind of game.
Genealogists have peculiar wishes For Christmas
I just want a surname.

A new washing machine would be great,
But it’s not the desire of my life.
I’ve just found an ancestor’s birth date;
What I need now is the name of his wife.

My heart doesn’t yearn for a ring
That would put a real diamond to shame.
What I want is a much cheaper thing;
Please give me Mary’s last name.

Are you like me, and find that more often than not quotes or sayings in birthday/christmas/special occasion cards are nicer that what you can come up?  While you don’t generally find ‘family tree’ themed cards i the shops, there’s still a great bunch of quotes, and I wanted to share some of my favourite Family Tree Quotes  with you.

Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family; whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one! – Jane Howard

Life is lived forwards, but understood backwards. – Unknown